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Thanks to the advancement of sports science and fitness regimes, more and more players are playing well into their thirties.
Some of them have scored goals and won trophies galore for club and country after their 30th birthday. Despite new players emerging on the scene, some of the most experienced campaigners, especially goalscorers, continue to be key players.
On that note, here's a look at the top five goalscorers in Europe's top five leagues after turning 30 since the turn of the century:
#5 Robert Lewandowski - 125
Robert Lewandowski is one of the best centre-forwards in the history of the game. He had a prolific four-year stint with Borussia Dortmund - where he scored 103 goals in nearly 200 games across competitions - and won consecutive Bundesliga titles.
The 33-year-old stepped up a notch since joining BvB's domestic rivals Bayern Munich on a free transfer in the summer of 2014. Lewandowski has amassed a staggering 333 strikes, and has won the last seven Bundesliga titles.
In his 12th Bundesliga season, Lewandowski recently notched up his 300th goal in the competition. That includes over 100 strikes since he turned 30 in August 2008.
Last season, the Polish international scored 41 times to break the late Gerd Muller's five-decade-old record of most goals (40) in a Bundesliga season. With 28 goals already this term and with ten games to go, it wouldn't be beyond Lewy to break that record this year.
#4 Lionel Messi - 127
Lionel Messi is widely regarded as one of the best players to have graced the game.
During an illustrious career with club and country spanning nearly two decades, the diminutive Argentinian has scored goals, bagged assists and won titles and accolades galore.
The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner is the all-time La Liga top scorer, netting a stunning 474 times. That includes 125 goals after he turned 30 in June 2017. Messi is also a record eight-time Pichichi winner, last winning the award in his last campaign in La Liga in 2020-21, where he scored 30 times.
However, the 2021 Copa America winner has struggled to replicate the same exploits at PSG, whom he joined on a free transfer last summer. In 16 Ligue 1 games, Messi has netted only twice, taking six games to open his account in the competition.
Despite scoring only twice in his last 11 league outings, Messi has provided 11 assists during this period, including at least one in his last five.
#3 Antonio Di Natale - 162
Antonio Di Natale was a prolific goalscorer for club and country during his playing days.
The 44-year-old, with 209 goals, is one of only seven players to have scored over 200 times in the Serie A. That includes an impressive 162 strikes - all for Udinese - after he turned 30 in October 2007.
Though the former Italy centre-forward didn't win an Italian top-flight title, he won two Capocannoniere awards, doing so in consecutive seasons (2009-10 and 2010-11).
Di Natale, who also scored 11 times for Italy, impressively bagged at least ten strikes in ten of his 14 Serie A campaigns. Both his Capocannoniere awards came after he turned 30.
#2 Zlatan Ibrahimovic - 190
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is one of the most storied strikers in the history of the sport, especially since the turn of the century.
Still going strong despite turning 40, Ibrahimovic recently scored the 500th goal of his club career. The Sweden international has won league titles in four different countries - Netherlands, Italy, Spain and France.
Late last year, the AC Milan marksman joined Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo (more on him later) as the only players to score 300 goals in Europe's top-five league. Almost 200 of those strikes have come after he stepped into his fourth decade in October 2011.
This season, the 40-year-old has netted eight times in Serie A as Milan seek their first league title in 11 years. They are currently trail defending champions Inter Milan by a solitary point after 27 games.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo - 196
Cristiano Ronaldo, like Messi, is widely regarded by many as one of the greatest players in the game's history.
In his near two-decade-long career for club and country, the 37-year-old has amassed over 800 goals. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner (311) is one of only two players - Messi being the other - to score over 300 times in La Liga.
After leaving Real Madrid in the summer of 2018 as their all-time top scorer (450 goals), Ronaldo spent a decent three-season spell at Juventus. He netted 101 times across competitions, including 81 strikes in the league, winning two Serie A titles.
Back at Manchester United last summer, Ronaldo has struck nine league goals this season, but has struck only once in his last eight outings.
He'll be hoping for a strong end to his campaign as fourth-placed United find themselves in a tight race for the top four.
